Ladie's Night Out
by RogueAlly
Summary: The X-Women decide that it's time to raise a little money for charity the FUN way. W/R, S/J, Ju/StJ, O/H


"We really need you guys to do this. It is for charity, after all."

Those are fourteen words every X-Man at Xavier's has come to hate and fear. Would you like to know why? I'm sure you would. Most of you are women. You'll love this. Sadists.

We were just minding our business, relaxing on the back patio, when they came up to us. The angels that inhabit this huge old place, the shining lights in a dark world whom we worship daily. Of course, we've each got our favorites, but we know they're all pretty damn special.

At least, we thought they were. That was before the evil little minxes decided to destroy every semblance of dignity we men might have once possessed.

They appeared so innocent. My own particular darling came over, sat on my lap and took a long drink of my beer. Nothing wrong with that in my book. Watching those lips close over the bottle's mouth and pull at the liquid inside…yeah, that's all good. I'm sure she did it to make my brain go fuzzy. Which it does around her, anyway.

"Hey, sugar," she whispered in my ear. Didn't mind that one bit, especially since she leaned into me at the same time and pressed those beautifully full breasts into my chest. I have to admit it made me growl, nice and low like I know she likes it. She smiled. I didn't see the determination in her eyes or I would've been scared. Whenever my Marie gets determined, there's usually hell to pay – one way or another.

"What were you ladies up to?" Scott asked around Jean, who was in his lap. That should've made us suspicious. Jean isn't one for public displays of affection on a normal day. Under normal circumstances. But we were all pretty much blinded by the loveliness surrounding us.

"Well, we had a terrific idea for a fundraiser for the Orphanage, and we wanted to hash it out alone first," Marie replied, squeezing me around the shoulders and smiling down at me. She was referring to the orphanage for obviously mutant children, which Professor Xavier started two years ago. It was going pretty well, but the roof and some of the walls were going to need work soon, and so money had to be raised somehow. We couldn't depend on Xavier's mysterious benefactors for everything, after all.

Scott, St. John, Bobby and I should have been scared. We really should have been. I mean, they had discussed a plan without us. That meant they hadn't decided to include us for a specific reason. Of course, we didn't think about that then.

"What's the deal, then?" I asked, naively thinking they were going to hold a bake sale or something like that.

"Well, we thought we'd host a sort of 'Ladies' Night Out' here at the School. You know, get a band to play for free and invite all of the really rich women from the surrounding towns to come and par-tay!" Jubilee said from her place cuddled up against St. John.

That didn't sound too bad, but I was starting to get a sinking feeling. Ladies' Night Out. I'd heard some things from women I'd known over the years. That sort of thing always had a main event or two that really got the women involved all hot and excited. Usually involving men. Uh-oh.

"You know, you can't have a Ladies' Night Out without a few really fun things to do. And we decided that you guys should be able to help us out there!" Kitty said cheerfully. She grinned down at Bobby, whose shoulders she was rubbing expertly. I could tell from five feet away. Marie was even observing her technique, before she turned to give me the same kind of grin.

Can I just mention that I do not trust Kitty when she gets cheerful? I firmly believe those stories about very friendly, nice people who crack and go on killing sprees. Not that I think killing sprees are all that bad in certain cases. As long as I'm not a target. And the people I care about aren't targets.

"Umm…how?" St. John ventured. I guess Jubilee wasn't doing a good enough job clouding his mind or something. Although, come to think of it, Marie was still making me hot, but I now had my mind fixed firmly on the conversation at hand. I really wanted to know the answer to that question.

It was Marie's turn again, apparently. She leaned down and said with a small pout on those delicious looking lips, "We want to give the old girls a special treat, sugar. You're all so sexy, so very well built and," she licked her lips, "open-minded that we thought you'd agree to help us out." My girl is one for twisting you up in what she's saying before actually getting to the point. At least when she wants her way.

"We're planning to have a wet T-shirt contest." Jubilee is less subtle. Much less. "We want you guys to be the contestants."

Okay, that got me out of the haze Marie had started to create in my head. "Contestants?"

I guess it woke up the other X-Men, too. "In a wet T-shirt contest?" Scott asked. "With a bunch of old ladies as the judges?" St. John chipped in. "At the School?" Bobby. Always the by-the-books boy.

"They won't all be old!" Jean said huffily. I think she was offended because many of the women they were suggesting inviting would probably be in her age range.

Uh-oh. In all of their age ranges. Good going, St. John. I just loved the way they were glaring at us all.

"Still, I don't want to go up in front of a bunch of women and let them judge my body!" I reminded myself to thank Bobby for bringing the topic of conversation back to the important part and nodded in complete support.

My Marie, though, she's smart. "Logan, sugar, you're not afraid, are you? I mean, I know that you're a little out of shape, since you haven't been cage fighting in the last few years. Do you really think you've let your body go that much?" she asked me sweetly, running a hand down my chest. My bare chest. Damn. For the first time I almost hate the fact that she learned to control her abilities a year ago.

"Afraid?" I asked. This time my growl was threatening. I know it was. But she didn't back down.

"I know Scott, Bobby and Johnny've been working out, but you really don't think they're more built than you are, do you, sugar?" she whispered in my ear. I tried so hard to listen to what she was saying instead of concentrating on how I could feel her breathe against my ear, and that felt so good…

"They're not," I said shortly, pulling Marie more tightly against me. She'd better not be thinking that. Dammit.

"Of course they're not, Logan. Wouldn't it be fun to find out what other women think, though? You know, I'm kinda biased here," she said a little more loudly, one hand playing with my hair.

I gave her an incredulous look. "You want me to show off in front of other women? Okay, who are you and what have you done with my Marie? If I remember right, the last time you caught some woman ogling me, you nearly sent her down to the med lab. And that was 'Ro, last summer," I said. Definitely couldn't believe this one.

Marie just smiled down at me and traced my lips with her index finger. Of course, that made me remember what that hand was doing when I woke up this morning, which immediately got me hard. She could feel it, I knew, because her smile got wider, like it does just before she strips down in our bedroom and…

"But it's for charity, Logan," she purred, and I forgot all about what that smile meant.

Damn. The woman just would not let up. And she had used that damn phrase.

"You remember Sarah, don't you?" she asked, her eyes going all big and soft and misty. Oh, god, Sarah. The little four-year-old whose parents had abandoned her in a warehouse in Detroit when they decided they couldn't stand that their little girl had blue hair and pale gold skin – all natural, no dyes or paints necessary. I remembered the way she'd clung to Marie and me, and I was even considering having a talk with Marie to discuss…no, I knew I shouldn't think about that, 'cause then I might weaken my resolve a little. There were so many kids at the Orphanage just like Sarah.

"It's not like Scooter, St. John, Bobby and I couldn't fix it all ourselves," I growled out. I completely contradicted my badass tone by rubbing little circles in the small of her back.

"Where would you get the materials? The Prof's already said that his sponsors can't help as much with the Orphanage as they do with the School. It's a lot more publicly pro-mutant, and that scares a lot of them. Not to mention that some of them invest in the School because we teach mutants whose abilities are already showing. It's apparent that the kids at the Orphanage will be mutants, but they're not yet. Of course, that only makes sense in the sponsors' minds, if you ask me," Jubilee said huffily.

I looked around and saw that the other women had been trying to work their men into giving them what they wanted, too. There was just something so wrong about that. Somehow. I'd have protested if Marie wasn't returning the favor from earlier and rubbing her hand up and down my stomach. Oh, yeah. I liked that.

"A wet T-shirt contest, though?" Bobby protested weakly from around Kitty, who was twining herself around him.

"Oh, yeah. You'll be a big hit," Jean said, smiling serenely around at us.

Something else was just wrong about this.

"Wait a second. When are you four planning this thing? 'Cause if the Cajun and 'Ro aren't back from their honeymoon so that he can join in the fun, I'm not even going to consider it," I said. There, that oughta work. I was sure I remembered that 'Ro and Remy wanted to extend their little trip to Africa at least a week or two.

"They'll be back in two days, Logan. We're giving you one more day than that. Jean already let 'Ro know our plans," my Marie informed me. Damn. I guess that they've been gone longer than I thought.

"Look, I'm tired and wanna head to bed. You comin', sugar?" Marie asked me.

I love it when she used little double entendres like that. "'Course I am, darlin'," I said. She stood up and pulled me up as well.

Everyone was grinning at us, but was it my fault that my girl has a big appetite – and not for food? I heard Scott mutter something about having way too much time on our hands and grinned when Jean whispered something suggestive to him. It's fun, having these super sensitive senses of mine sometimes.

It was when we were just about to slip into the house through the big French doors that Jean uttered those horrifying, dignity-crushing words.

"Remember, guys, we really need you to do this. It is for charity, after all."

I groaned and Marie laughed. At least I was going to get sex. Soon. At the time, I thought it was the most important thing I could concentrate on.

I was dead wrong.

That night I managed to avoid the subject of the Ladies' Night Out. Thank goodness. I thought that Marie might have decided to be merciful, might have realized how much I hated that sort of thing, or just forgot about it in the haze of passion that had descended on us. I was so wrong.

She ambushed me in the kitchen the next day. I swear she had to have planned that one out. No other way to explain the grilled steak all laid out on the table with a knife and fork beside it. She's the one who insists that I obey the damn niceties of society when eating my precious steak. I don't know why, but I love her and gave in the third time she brought up the subject months ago. Because I love her, I only growled a little.

So, the steak was on the table, cooked just the way I like it - practically raw. And she was sitting on the other side of the table, eating her own steak. I have to admit that watching my Marie eat steak is a definite turn on. The way she savors the meat, biting off just a small bit with her teeth and then chewing quickly just to repeat the process over and over and over…

But I'm getting off the subject, yet again. I sat down at the table, not even bothering to ask if the other steak was mine because I knew it was. She doesn't cook for anyone but the two of us. I think it's because if anyone else knew how good her cooking is, they'd have her chained to the kitchen making meal after delicious meal.

Hey, can I help it if I'm proud of Marie's skills?

So, after I'm about halfway through my steak, Marie looks over at me finally, those big brown eyes wide and innocent looking. I shouldn't have believed that one for a second, but I'm a sucker for those eyes. She smiled at me, a little shyly, like she had the first time we met.

"Logan," she began, "Would it hurt you too much to help us out with this Ladies' Night Out? It's not as if we're asking you guys to strip or anything. Just let us pour water over you so that everyone can see those nice, big muscles you've all got." She wasn't whining. In fact, her voice was damn soft and persuasive. I should've gotten up right then and there, but there was the steak to consider. If I left it half eaten in the fridge, who knew who'd try to finish it for me? Nope. I wasn't gonna leave until I'd finished that wonderful steak.

I kept quiet. I thought it was my only defense against her. How wrong I was.

The more I kept my mouth shut, the more despondent my little darling became. Her eyes lost that happy sparkle and she stopped eating her own steak, putting her fork down and her hands in her lap. She fiddled with the napkin there for a minute or two. Then she got really dangerous.

"Logan, remember how much fun we had last night?" Marie asked wistfully. It sounded like she was remembering something from years ago, not just the night before. Something she wouldn't have again.

That put me in Panic Mode. She wouldn't give up on me if I didn't agree to this dumb charity thing, would she? I couldn't imagine not having my Marie in bed with me every night, not making love to her and then falling asleep with her in my arms. Not having her drop down into my lap for a cuddle, not kissing her hello every time we were apart for more than an hour. For a split second these possibilities wreaked havoc in my head.

That's all it took. That split second of insanity made me say, "I'll do the charity thing, Marie honey. Now, why don't we go up to our room? I think we need a nap."

Thus said, I put words into action, getting up and going around the table, grabbing her by the hand and dragging her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Damn the steak, anyway.

When I was finally sane again, hours later with Marie asleep all curled around me like a cat, I remembered what I'd said. What I'd promised. The more I thought about it, the more I could see that Marie had set it all up. My girl is very good at making plans and seeing them out, I'll give her that much.

Maybe Marie sensed in her sleep that I was upset, because she was awake again in minutes. She gazed up at me all serious like she does sometimes, and then she did it. She brought up the subject we'd been tiptoeing around for weeks.

"Logan, don't you think it'd be wonderful to have a little girl to raise?" she asked softly. Her eyes were all misty, and I knew she was picturing the times we'd visited the Orphanage. Hell, it showed something that my mind went straight there, too.

"I've heard adopting mutant kids is a lot easier than adopting a 'normal' kid," I said sardonically. I hated the fact that the adoption process was faster for the little guys, mostly because when someone wanted one of them the caseworkers were happy to get them off their hands. If people like Xavier weren't looking out for them, mutant children could go to some really nasty people. And even though I knew Xavier had a whole network of people like him working around the world, there had to be some pretty tough cases out there.

"So you've thought about adopting Sarah, too?" Marie asked me, a small smile lighting her face.

"Of course. She's such a sweetheart, just like you, even when she's wreaking havoc on the entire orphanage," I said, chuckling when Marie punched me in the arm.

"I don't wreak havoc!" she said with an answering laugh.

"What are you and the other women trying to do with this Ladies' Night Out idea, then?"

Marie made a face at me. "We're just having a little fun, Logan," she said mock-innocently. She pushed me onto my back and slipped on top of me, grinning.

"I could think of a few things that I'd call fun, Marie, but that isn't one of them," I said huskily, running my hands up her back. She has such soft skin. It's almost unbelievable that it can be deadly or even harmful if she chooses.

"Oh, like what?" she whispered, leaning down to kiss me.

And thus my insanity began again. Oh, why do I have to be weak like this?

When we finally emerged, Marie left me to go tell the other X-Women the good news. I found my way to the rec room and immediately went to the locked bar there. There are some things that a man simply has to have a drink for, and thinking of doing a wet T-shirt contest is one of them. Definitely.

I was just downing a shot of whiskey when Scott came in. He looked like I felt, completely drained. We didn't speak to each other. I just poured him a shot and gave myself seconds, and we downed them together.

"Marie?" Scott asked. He didn't need to say any more.

"Yeah. Jean?" I asked in return.

"Yeah."

It was a sad sight, I'm telling you. Two fully-grown men who had just been beaten down by their women. If I'd been on the outside of this fiasco I'd probably have been laughing so hard I could barely breathe. However, I was stuck right in the middle of it.

We settled down on the couch and did the manliest thing we could think of. We turned on the TV and found ESPN. That channel has probably been used to soothe many men who have lost to the women in their lives.

Football and then hockey kept us preoccupied for a few hours. When baseball came on we both reached for the remote to turn the channel in disgust. Scott let me have the remote, I think mostly because he was sorry for me. I was sorry for myself. The glare I gave him had only been the slightest squint of my eyes and the smallest sneer of my life.

Jean found us watching Animal Planet a little while later. I smelled her when she came in, but I didn't want to acknowledge her presence in any way. She'd been part of my defeat, after all. I was sure she'd given Marie some advice on how to "help me see the light." Damn them both.

"Hmmm. So you're learning about apes. How appropriate," Jean said with a short laugh. "Since you two are acting as socially mature as our lesser relations, anyway."

We turned around and glared at her. This time I was able to work up a good one, and I was impressed with what Scott was able to come up with. The boy might have potential after all.

"We were attempting to educate ourselves. Contrary to what certain women who see us only as pieces of meat to be displayed may think, we do that sometimes," Scott said. Of course, he didn't mention the games from earlier, but because I liked that explanation more than the truth, that we were sulking, I stayed quiet about it, too.

"Right. So, did it occur to you two that dinner's going to be ready soon?" Jean asked. She smiled, and to me it seemed a little patronizing. We might've been acting like children, but we were men, dammit!

I was about to say that I wasn't hungry when I realized that I'd just be proving her point. Scott must have had that thought occur to him, too, because we said together, "We'll be there in a minute."

Jean raised her eyebrows and then left. I got up and went to the bar again. I poured two more shots and handed one to Scott. We downed those and then left. Some things will bond two men together, after all, even if they've disliked each other for years.

Everyone was waiting for us in the small dining room reserved for the summer months. Small compared to the ballroom where meals were served when school was actually in session, anyway. Three long tables that could seat sixteen people were set up, and most of the seats were filled. I took my place beside Marie, who smiled and gave me a soft kiss on the cheek.

Who wouldn't melt with Marie smiling at him? I smiled back slightly, as much as I dared in front of the kids. Then I began to eat, even though I wasn't very hungry.

"So, the ladies tell me that they have a very ambitious project in mind, and that all of my X-Men have agreed to participate," Charles said gravely. I looked up at him, and I swear his eyes were twinkling. Twinkling, dammit.

"Yes, we have, Professor," Scott said with resignation heavy in his voice.

"I'm glad that you are all taking the Orphanage's problems so seriously, and that you are willing to do what you must to fix them," Charles said like the paternal mentor he so enjoyed playing at times.

"Yes, we are, Professor," Bobby said. I think that the professor didn't notice the kid's complete misery in saying that. I sure didn't miss Kitty smiling at him, or the way he blushed and looked down at his food.

We ate mostly in silence after that, especially the men. I'd just finished my apple pie when Marie decided to speak up.

"Professor, can Logan and I see you after dinner?" she asked.

Now, I was wondering about this. What'd we need to see him for? I asked her that in a real low voice, and all she said was, "Sarah." Suddenly, I knew that she was going to ask about adopting her. I wanted to, so much, but what if Xavier didn't allow it? He was the guardian of all the kids at the Orphanage, after all.

"Of course, Rogue," Xavier said. He smiled at her kindly as he wheeled away from the table. "If you would both follow me?" He said goodnight to the rest of the table and led us out of the room.

Once we reached Xavier's office and were seated comfortably, the Professor asked, "Now, what can I do for you?"

Marie licked her lips nervously and clenched her fingers around mine. She glanced at me before turning back to Xavier and saying, "Logan and I've been talking a lot the last couple weeks about one of the orphans, Professor."

"Oh?" There was no discouragement in his eyes or tone. In fact, I'd almost have thought that he was expecting it. He probably was. I considered, not for the first time, how useful it'd be to be able to read the minds around you.

"Yeah. We were hoping that you would approve of us adopting Sarah," Marie said softly. Her eyes lit just talking about that girl, let me tell you. I have to admit that I probably looked about the same way.

Xavier nodded slowly. "Sarah is definitely a special little girl, and I think that she would benefit from a loving home. There would have to be some changes in your living arrangements, of course. I'm sure one of the suites on the third floor could be arranged to suit a family of three," he said. Then he looked at both of us very seriously. "I must know, though, that you aren't simply deciding to adopt because you're afraid of passing along your own mutation, Rogue. You do know that you could most likely carry a baby to full term, especially since you're now able to control your gift."

Marie smiled softly. "I know, Professor. I really do want to make Sarah my daughter, though, Logan's and mine. Even if we have biological children further down the road, I don't think that would ever make me love her less," she told him sincerely. I nodded in support.

Xavier smiled at us and sighed. "I must tell you that it relieves my mind when one of those children is able to find a good home, and I do think that you two will be able to provide Sarah with everything she needs, including the love she has been denied by her own parents. I will see about the adoption arrangements and let you know when they are completed. Meanwhile, perhaps you would like to begin moving your possessions into your new suite and preparing for your daughter?" he asked. I swear the man had a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, yes, Professor!" Marie said, jumping up. She dragged me up with her and beamed at us both. At that moment, I knew I was one lucky man.

I'm a lucky man. I had to keep reminding myself of that as I stood behind the curtains of the stage in the ballroom with my "lucky" companions. The noise from the large room on the other side of the curtains was ridiculous, especially for someone with sensitive hearing like mine. Should rich married women really be acting like a bunch of wild and crazy teenage girls after only a few glasses of wine? My answer was out there, screaming along with one of the most popular rock bands of the time who had agreed to put on this private performance pro bono. I thought that was pretty brave of them, to be honest. I knew I was not looking forward to going out to be ogled by those women.

"We're actually doing it. Why are we doing it, again?" Bobby asked quietly, glancing around to make sure none of our women was within hearing distance. Thankfully, they weren't.

"We were blinded by sex. Men, we were tricked," Scott said bitterly. None of us tried to dance around the fact that our women had led us here simply with a few honeyed words and hours spent in the sack. Devoted, loving, purposefully spent hours in the sack.

"We'll have to pay them back, somehow. Would they like having to do a wet T-shirt contest for a bunch of rich guys? I doubt it," Remy answered his own question with a glare in the direction of the screams coming from the ballroom. I almost felt bad for the guy. Apparently, Ororo hadn't even told him about the contest until earlier in the day. I guess she didn't want to ruin the honeymoon.

Of course, there was no question of us allowing any other men to stare at our beautiful women while they're wearing clinging wet tops, but apparently, the women had no problems with the reverse happening. In fact, they'd been gloating for the past two days as they rushed around making preparations. It was almost more than any of us men could stand, but we did our best. After all, it was for charity. And none of us wanted a cold bed, either.

Thoughts of beer and hockey ran through my head as I heard the music die away and someone walk across the stage. Suddenly, Jubilee's cheerful voice rang out over the excited noises of the throng.

"All right, everyone, now it's time for the last treat of the night. We women here at the school decided that wet T-shirt contests shouldn't be so one-sided, so here are some hot men who've volunteered to be hosed down and let you judge which of them has got what it takes to win!" she cried out happily. I really couldn't see why she was so damned happy about it. I guess she thought St. John was going to win. Huh. Fat chance.

The curtains opened to reveal all five of us standing in a line. We wore white T-shirts, of course, and dark jeans. Jubilee turned to grin at us briefly before motioning to Jean and Ororo, the tallest of the women, to bring in the buckets. I tried really hard not to glare at them as they came up to Scott and me first. After all, it was for charity, right?

I thought I was prepared for the icy feel of the water as Ororo dumped it over my head. I was wrong. Of course, I made sure not to let it show beyond a small shiver, unlike Scott, who actually yelped. I couldn't help grinning out to the ladies in the crowd at that one. They seemed to appreciate that.

More buckets were handed up for Bobby, St. John and Remy. Then it was our turn to really perform. While I felt like a pansy for doing it, I went along with the other guys in posing, flexing our muscles and grinning as big as we were able to under the circumstances. After all, we'd all been promised big rewards at the end of the night, and I planned to collect big time. In fact, there was no reason to leave our bedroom for a couple of days. That's how much Marie owed me.

Jubilee prolonged our torture until our smiles started to look strained. I saw her looking closest at me. Did I ever mention how smart she can be sometimes? The slight glare I sent her seemed to be what she was waiting for, because she called out, "All right, ladies, we're going to judge the winner of this little contest by how loud you get! Let's hear it for Scott!" she called out.

I'll admit that Scooter got a loud response. I think mine was better. The younger X-Men had some support, but not nearly as much as Scott or me. We smirked at each other as Jubilee regretfully asked Bobby, St. John and Remy to step back. Our girls all gathered in a tight circle to confer. It amused me to see some argument going on, but finally Jubilee came back to the center of the stage.

"Well, ladies, it looks like we've got a winner. Let's hear some noise for…Logan!"

Well, while I don't think I'll go bragging about this one outside of the mansion any time soon, I do have to admit that beating the rest of the X-Men in this little game was worth the few minutes of humiliation I had to suffer. That doesn't mean I'm going to fall in neatly with any other little plans our girls might have for us, though, no matter how good it felt to stand out there in the spotlight.

"Mmmmmm…" Marie makes the hottest sounds when she's waking up. Okay, everything about her is hot, but those little sounds drive me wild. I decide to be nice after our two-day stint, though, and not try for a...twelfth time? Thirteenth? I don't know. All I know is that the last two days were some of the best in my life and were almost worth going through with the contest. Almost.

Hell, who am I kidding? I'd do it all again just to get Marie to spend that much time in the sack with me again. Damn, she's great in bed. I know I'm no slouch, either, so I think it's safe to say we have a very satisfactory love life. Or should I say satiated? Nah, I'll never get enough of her. I'm pretty sure she feels the same way.

"So, did you guys figure out how much we made for the Orphanage?" I ask, running a hand through her silky hair. There is a lot of emphasis put on that "we," let me tell you.

Marie's eyes crack open, and she smiles up at me triumphantly. "We got the total right before you dragged me off to bed. Actually, Jean sent it to me telepathically as Scott was dragging her off, and I guess 'Ro must have told her right before she and Remy disappeared," she says with a laugh. She's running a hand through the hair on my chest, and I barely manage to keep my mind focused on our conversation. Okay, there is a small part of me paying attention to that, while the rest is thinking that night is a little too far away.

"The total, Marie," I demand even as I begin stroking her back, reveling in the feel of all that smooth skin.

"Aaah…three hundred thousand, two hundred and sixty eight," is just about all that Marie manages to get out. Well, that and one of those soft, sexy sighs I love so much.

Giving really is worth it, I guess. Especially when it means that I'll have Marie to myself as long as I want for "doing my part."


End file.
